


Berlin Wall Blues

by Meduseld



Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Cold War, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Terrible attempt at russian naming, The Americans AU, the 80's
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-11-16 14:55:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11255259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meduseld/pseuds/Meduseld
Summary: Benedict Arnold betrays America. In the 1980s. Caleb gets caught in the crossfire.





	Berlin Wall Blues

“Wow” he says with a laugh, the _bastard_ , “I did  _not_ know you had a weak spot like that”.

Caleb concentrates on breathing, which is white hot agony with his broken ribs.

He was kicked so many times he can’t tell how many. He can barely see, one eye swollen shut, the other blinded by the blood dripping from the cut on his forehead, bleeding freely from the moment he was shoved out onto the concrete tarmac.

Through the haze he can see Ben, standing impassive on the other side of the runway. He hasn’t said a word.

Arnold, the fucking _traitor_ is still talking, yammering on about _betrayal_ because the ass is as self-aware as a fucking _turnip_ , and Ben hasn’t moved a muscle, eyes clear and hands steady.

He hadn’t flinched when he’d seen Caleb.

He’s painfully aware than Ben is the only reason he’s still breathing. Not just because he’s all Caleb can focus on, head swimming out of reach, but because that’s what this is all about.

Arnold wants a goddamn plane ticket to Russia and Ben could make that happen.

But he won’t, no matter what the mad son of a bitch is spewing. And goddamn it Caleb should have been better somehow, not blindsided.

How had Arnold known? Where had he been careless? Other than that fucking hallway, ambushed by six big men.

At least he’d gotten them bloody too, and given them nothing but every Russian swear word he knew.

“Margarita Emelianovna Sidorova” Ben says and Arnold’s mouth stops running.

“That’s her name isn’t it? The real one? Or did she not tell you?”

“She did, of course she did, she fucking loves me!” Arnold spits and for the first time Caleb realizes just how gone he really is.

“She’s halfway back to Moscow. Did you plan that?”

The gun Arnold’s been waving around is suddenly a hard point of pain on Caleb’s forehead.

“She _had_ to run. You _made_ her. And I wanna go with her.”

Caleb swallows as best he can. He made peace with death a long time ago. With Ben, and the love he carries too. It’s alright. It’s not perfect, but it’s alright. That’s all you can ask of life, most times.

He closes his eyes, but not before he catches a flicker of movement across from him, a flash of blue and gold.

“Alright! Alright, _please_. You love her. I – I love him. Just. Put down the gun. _Please_ ”.

Ben sounds wrecked. Caleb can see his face in his mind’s eye, lips drawn and pleading. He clamps his cracked lips shut to hold in a cackle.

The rest of the exchange goes quickly, the words moving in and out of focus. Something whistles past his head and thumps behind him.

A passport.

And Arnold’s gone.

Then Ben is beside him.

He slumps into him, grateful, not caring about the blood. He can smell Ben, his shampoo and his cologne and his skin.

“Did they hurt you?” he says, a furious hiss and Caleb bursts into giggles.

Then he gives a full report of his injuries because there’s no point doing anything else and Ben’s hand cards, careful, into his bloody hair.

“I never meant for this. You weren’t supposed to be within miles of this mess. Believe me”

“Yeah, I know that, but, how’d you get him Benny? What’s the angle?”

Ben breathes, careful and relieved, and gently kisses the side of his head.

“You noticed?”

“You gave him a damn ticket. And you don’t fucking sound like that when backed into a corner, Tall-boy, I know you. You don’t get weepy. You get fucking _angry_ ”

Ben laughs.

While the van gets there, labeled flowers outside and stocked like an ambulance inside, he tells Caleb everything.

**Author's Note:**

> The deets are probably wonky. I apologize, people who speak Russian/are CIA or KGB. Let’s just assume André got caught here just like in real life, and there’s a way for them to use Arnold being in Russia. I had a thing but it got clunky. (And yes the woman’s name is my clumsy as all hell attempt to make ‘Peggy Shippen’ into a Russian name. I apologize again people who speak the language).


End file.
